SPID – Sustainable Production powered by Industrial Digitalisation

SPID is Mälardalen University’s initiative for advanced professional education aimed at working professionals within the manufacturing industry. Supported by the Swedish KK-stiftelsen, the initiative seeks to strengthen companies’ long-term competitiveness through industrial digitalisation and sustainable production, in close collaboration between academia and industry.

About the SPID education initiative

The manufacturing industry is facing increasing demands for sustainability, digitalisation and advanced technical expertise. Meeting these challenges requires new knowledge as well as flexible approaches to learning. SPID addresses these needs by offering advanced skills development that is closely linked to real industrial challenges and delivered as part of a long-term initiative supported by the Knowledge Foundation.

Within SPID, industrial experience meets cutting-edge research to jointly develop solutions for sustainable and competitive production. The education has a clear focus on industrial digitalisation as a key enabler of sustainable development.

Programme structure and content

SPID comprises a total of 60 higher education credits and is designed for working professionals. The programme consists of:

• 45 credits in short courses of 1.5–3 credits each, which can be taken individually or combined to suit the needs of companies and participants.
• A 15-credit project course, in which participants carry out an industry-relevant project addressing a concrete need identified by a partner company.

The courses combine theoretical perspectives with applied elements and are delivered in close collaboration with industry, ensuring practical relevance and enabling rapid implementation within organisations.

Collaboration with industry

Companies play an active role in SPID, both as co-developers of courses and as contributors of knowledge within the education. Through joint projects, company-based courses and continuous exchange of experience, a learning environment is created where innovation, working methods and knowledge are shared across organisational boundaries.

A decentralised education model

SPID is being developed as a decentralised education model. Following an initial phase in the Mälardalen region, the initiative is expanding through regional nodes, including Skellefteå and Västervik. The goal is to provide accessible and relevant advanced skills development for industry – where the needs are.

Collaboration partners

SPID is carried out in collaboration with Eskilstuna Fabriksförening, Mälardalen Technology Center (MITC), Campus Skellefteå, Campus Västervik, as well as a number of leading industrial companies, including Alfa Laval, AstraZeneca, Scania, Volvo CE, Volvo Powertrain and Väderstad.